NEW Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson might want to keep his team off Des Hasler's infamous radar and ensure the lid stays on the Bondi Junction outfit's title aspirations.

Even in atrocious conditions, the new-look Roosters were a class above the Wests Tigers in taking out the Foundation Cup with a five-tries-to-three, 28-16 win.

What a difference 12 months can make.

This time last year, the Tigers were raging favourites with the bookmakers after mounting strong campaigns well into September for the previous two seasons.

This year, it's shaping as an entirely different script with the arrival of James Maloney, Michael Jennings, Sonny Bill Williams and Luke O'Donnell giving new Roosters coach Robinson one of the NRL's most potent rosters.

As embryonic as February trial matches are in terms of the bigger picture, Tigers coach Mick Potter and captain Robbie Farah both conceded the Roosters showed enough to suggest they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Leading 10-6 at half-time, the Roosters powered away from the Tigers in the second half as the new-look halves combination of Mitchell Pearce and Maloney relished playing behind a dominant forward pack.

Jennings, Aiden Guerra and Daniel Mortimer all scored second-half tries as the Roosters showed enough to suggest the roster chairman Nick Politis has assembled is capable of challenging for the title.

On the flip side, it was a tough homecoming for ex-Roosters captain Braith Anasta, who must have felt slightly strange when some of his former fans welcomed his return with a round of boos.

Anasta's evening finished on an even more sombre note, with the Tigers back-rower forced from the field in the second half by a stomach bug.

Potter conceded there was plenty of work to do leading into Round 1 against Newcastle, particularly in defence.

"It was a performance we needed. The Roosters are going to be strong and physical and at times there we just couldn't go with them," Potter said.

"It just shows we need to do a little bit extra at training and, defensively, we've probably got a little bit of work to do."

Admittedly, the Tigers had zero luck.

Potter opted to rest star centre Chris Lawrence in the second half due to a shoulder complaint, while fullback Tim Moltzen was forced off with what Tigers officials labelled an "upset stomach".

And when Blake Ayshford was knocked out when his head hit Guerra's hip in the second half, it forced Potter into playing little-known NSW Cup winger Taqele Naiyaravaro at right centre.

The latest addition to the Robinson household arrived three weeks early, with his mother-in-law arriving in Australia from France just in time to celebrate the birth.

On the Roosters' performance, Robinson was measured.

"There was some good control in parts. It was nice to get a strong arm wrestle in the trial," Robinson said.

Asked about the halves pairing of Pearce and Maloney, he added: "They had some nice combo plays. It was Mitchell's first hit-out, he's been out of training for three or four weeks. I think the way our halves want to play, there can be a little bit more link there. But it's day one as far as match combinations go."

The Roosters coach said Williams would undergo a fitness test next week but was expected to be fit and available for selection for the season-opener against arch-rivals South Sydney.

"He's shown physically that he's ready, he just needs to get that shoulder and pec right," he said.

"It will be a contact test, that will be the thing, which he's been doing."